Wikis can really exemplify the idea of the read/write web in that they allow a web space to constantly evolve into an informative and ever-changing educational resource, with contributions from people working together across space and time.
Wiki pages can be a great tool for English teachers. Whether it is used as an online publishing tool, a discussion board, a way to collaborate group work or for other projects, wikis are a fantastic way for a class to communicate, especially outside of the classroom. They can also provide students with a genuine publishing opportunity.
Wikis can be used for:
Discussion boards---post a video, a picture, a question, a reading assignment, a web link, etc. then have students participate in a discussion thread. You can easily monitor who participates and how often. Since many schools do not allow blog access, this is a great alternative!
Publication opportunities--students can create their own pages and publish work for private or public viewing. You can set the space up so just you, just the students, or the whole world can view their work! Students can also customize their pages with pictures and graphics. Wikis have been referred to as a "safe" myspace, so students eat it up!
Group collaboration--A wiki can give students the opportunity to work on a group document from home and in class. You can easily monitor who contributes and watch the project take shape.
Online literary circles--as with discussion boards and group collaboration, this is a great way to facilitate a discussion about a novel from home.
Peer revision--Students can post drafts of written work, comment, edit, revise and respond via discussion board.
Electronic portfolios--Create a class homepage and a page for every student in the class to upload their written assignments. Combine this with all of these activities and students can create, collect and maintain quite a portfolio to show learning and progress throughout the school year.
Projects--have students create a wiki for a class project at the end of a unit. For example, students could create a wiki page of a famous author or character in a book (similar to a "myspace" format).
Research--what a refreshing twist to the traditional research "paper"! Students can now create their own website on virtually any topic imaginable!!
space (portfolio)
The list is endless of what you can do with a wiki. Where there is collaboration, there are wikis!
An example of a school who uses wikis to collaborate across the department: A132 English Wiki
If you use Moodle in your district, there is a wiki associated with it. It does not have all the bells and whistles of the above sites, but it also doesn't have the ads.
Why Wiki?
Wikis can really exemplify the idea of the read/write web in that they allow a web space to constantly evolve into an informative and ever-changing educational resource, with contributions from people working together across space and time.Wiki pages can be a great tool for English teachers. Whether it is used as an online publishing tool, a discussion board, a way to collaborate group work or for other projects, wikis are a fantastic way for a class to communicate, especially outside of the classroom. They can also provide students with a genuine publishing opportunity.
Wikis can be used for:
- Research--what a refreshing twist to the traditional research "paper"! Students can now create their own website on virtually any topic imaginable!!
space (portfolio)The list is endless of what you can do with a wiki. Where there is collaboration, there are wikis!
An example of a school who uses wikis to collaborate across the department:
A132 English Wiki
Good places to start your own wiki:
Good resources for information:
CFFEnglish
2007-2008 Collaborations for all Subjects
2008-2009 Collaborations for all Subjects
If you use Moodle in your district, there is a wiki associated with it. It does not have all the bells and whistles of the above sites, but it also doesn't have the ads.
Strategic Plan Wiki